Trench-cutter.



PATENTED MAR. 7 1905.

L. G. WEMPLE.

TRENGH CUTTER.

APPLIOATION FILED DEO.17. 190s. RENEWED JAN. 19, 1905.

UNITED STATES Patented March '7, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

'TRENCH-CUTTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 784,458, dated March7, 1905.

Application filed December 17, 1903. Renewed January 19, 1905. SerialNo. 241,784.

To a, wit/mt it 712,115 concern:

Beit known that I, LEONARD U. \VEMPLE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of lllinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in 'lrench-(Jutters, ofwhich the following is a specification.

In the care of lawns a shallow channel or trench is frequently cut inthe sod immediately adjacent to the edge of the cement or other walk. Incutting this channel or trench the sod and earth are removed to adepthand width of, say, from two to three inches.

The object of the present invention is to provide an improved implementwith which it can be done uniformly and expeditiously.

To these ends the invention consists in the features of novelty that arehereinafter described with reference to the accompanying drawings, inwhich Figure l is a front elevation of'an implement embodying theinvention and showing it in use, adjacent portions of the walk and lawnbeing shown in section. Figs. 2 and 3 are respectively a side elevationand a plan view thereof.

The device comprises a cutting-blade A, a fitting B, to which it issecured, a supportingwheel or roller C, journaled on a trunnion 0,carried by the fitting, (preferably integral therewith,) and a handle D.Viewed edgewise the blade is of U shape substantially, excepting thatits two sides a and a are preferably slightly divergent. The side a issecured to a fitting B and extends downward below the periphery of theWheel C adistance equal to the depth of the trench to be cut, and saidside a occupies a plane which is parallel with the general plane of saidWheel, so that it will travel quite close to orin contact with the sideof a cement or other walk. In other words, it will occupy averticalposition while the implement is in use. The other side, a, diverges fromthe aforesaid plane'and extends upward a considerable distance above thesurface of the walk for the purpose of insuring the cutting of the sodeven where the v lawn adjacent to the walk slopes at a considerableangle. The cutting edge of the blade is deflected forward from thevertical, so that it will have a shearing action.

This simple implement propelled through the medium of the handle as theuser walks along will make a cut corresponding in shape with the shapeof the blade, leaving the earth and sod in place. By following this cutwith a trowel or scoop the earth and sod within the boundaries of thecut can be easily and quickly removed.

It will be observed that the wheel of the present device is purely andsimply a sup- 7 porting-wheel and does not have the function of acolter-wheel. It is intended to travel along the edge of the walk andsimply support the cuttingblade, so that the latter, which extendsdownward below the periphery of the wheel, Will make a cut of uniformdepth and width. It will be observed also that the implement has nothingin the nature of a moldboard for following the cutter and removing thesod and earth as fast as the cut is made. One objection to a moldboardis that it greatly adds to the power required for propelling theimplement and puts its use beyond the strength of many people who wouldotherwise be able to use it. In addition to omitting the nioldboard Ileave the space bounded by the cutting-blade Wholly open andunobstructed from front to rear, so that the resistance to thepropulsion of the implement is reduced to a minimum. The use of asupporting-wheel adapted to run on the cement or other sidewalk stillfurther reduces the resistance and in addition to this accuratelydetermines the depth of the out.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. An implement of the class described, having a supporting device, acutting-blade of U shape, substantially, located at one side of thesupporting device and extending downward, below it, whereby saidsupporting device limits the depth of the cut, the space bounded by theblade being wholly open and unobstructed from front to rear, andpropelling means, substantially as described.

' Wheel adapted to run uponthe sidewalk, and

2. Anirnplernent ofthe class described havopen and unobstructed fromFront to rear, ing a handle for propelling it, a supportingsubstantiallyas described.

LEONARD O. VVEMPLE.

a blade of substantially U shape, located at I one side of thesupporting-Wheel and extending downward beloW the periphery thereofl thespace bounded by the blade being Wholly l/Vitnesses:

G. B. DOUGLAS, L. M. HOPKINS.

